The Iron Gates hydropower plants on the Danube, which produce the cheapest hydropower in Romania, delivered almost 400 MWH less power on July 8 than in a regular period, G4Media announced, quoting industry experts. They operate at 60% of capacity.

Energy experts say, however, that the situation is not critical and that Romania can supplement the consumption of energy produced from other sources - which can sometimes be more expensive

"[The flow] should be somewhere between 5,000 and 5,500 cubic meters per second. Currently, on July 8, there are 2,900 cubic meters per second, and the trend for the next 5 days is somewhere between 2,700 and 2,800. Currently, 630-640 MWh of energy are produced while in a day with a normal flow, the production should be somewhere around 1,000 MHW," said Cristinel Popescu, President of the Iron Gates Union.

The Danube's flow is 3,100 m3/s, well below the annual average of this month of 5,350 m3/s.

Hydropower production has declined in other parts of the country as well.

andrei@romania-insider.com

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